Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh hassaid 🌌COVID-19 prevention and control was the hardest job but the most outstanding highlight of the health sector in 2021.

Chairing a conference held both online and offline in Hanoi onJanuary 20, PM Chinh recalled that when the pandemic spread to urban areas withoutthe availability of vaccines and medicines, the sector brought medical servicesto the grassroots level by establishing over 700 mobile communal healthstations, deploying over 300,000 officers, soldiers, medical staff, army and publicsecurity forces to help localities enforce the social distancing order. He lauded the sector for building the vaccine strategy, promoting vaccinediplomacy, establishing a vaccine fund and launching the largest-ever freevaccination campaign in the country. The vaccination rate for those aged above18 with the first shot has so far reached nearly 100 percent, and second shot 95percent; while  the rate for those aged 12-17 with the first shot is 92 percent and the second jab is 76percent, making Vietnam one of the six countries with the highestvaccine coverage in the world. With the consultancy from ministries, agencies, and especially the Ministry of Health, the Government issued Resolution No. 28/NQ-CP on switchingto safe and flexible adaptation to and effective control of the COVID-19 pandemic,which was welcomed by the public, experts and international organisations andlaid a foundation for socio-economic development, he said. This year, the PM asked the health sector to continue focusing on thefight against the pandemic, accelerating the vaccination campaign in a safe,scientific and effective manner, enhance self-reliance in terms of vaccines, medicines,medical equipment and biological products while improving treatment andforecasting capacity. The sector was required to fix shortcomings related to vaccineand medicine licensing, and particularly procurement mechanism, and improve thecapacity of the medical system, especially preventive and grassroots medicine. Further attention must be paid to improving the quality ofmedical staff, perfecting financial regulations, strengthening the Statemanagement on pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, and pooling social resourcesfor protection and care of people’s health, he said. According to the government leader, the sector also needs to improve the efficiencyof State management on food safety, prevent population aging, developtraditional medicine, enhance the efficiency of communications to create publicconsensus on the Government’s policies and guidelines in the field. The PM requested continuing to step up the Party building work in the health sector, fighting corruption and negative behaviours,and build a contingent of medical workers with political mettle andprofessional expertise. PM Chinh believed that the health sector willcontinue building on the past achievemens and fulfill all assigned tasks this year. On the occasion, he launched a spring vaccination campaign and assigned the Ministry of Health to build a detailed plan for theeffort./.